Brown ale: Old faithfuls

“Relaxed and easygoing, pure and pleasing,” brown ales are too easily overlooked in today’s beer culture, said Eric Asimov in The New York Times. In a recent taste test, two of our top three picks—Brooklyn Brown Ale and Bell’s Best Brown Ale—offered such subtle pleasures, there’s little more to say about them. Like the three standouts below, the best brown ales “simply satisfy.”

Humboldt Brown Hemp Ale Though it’s brewed with hemp seeds, our No. 1 pick is “quite classic.” It has a “creamy texture” and “flavors of malt, chocolate, and dried fruits.”